RELATION OF FERTILISERS TO SOIL FERTILITY. 23 



Action of Boron on vegetables. A. and P. ANDOUARD. (Engrais, 26, 942-3.) 

 B. exerted a beneficial influence on, and increased yield of, onions. With 

 beans a slightly depressive action was observed. 



Fluorine. 



Estimation of fluorine in plants. H. OST. (Ber., 26, 151-154.) Analysis of 

 ash of leaves of various plants, growing under healthy conditions; in all 

 cases a small quantity of F, about 0-01 per cent., was found. 



Action of NaF on plant-life. KEIJIRO Aso. (Bull. Coll. Agr. Imper. Univ. 

 Tokyo, 1902, 5, 187-195.) Solutions of 005 per cent, of NaF have a more 

 or less injurious effect on the germinating power of seeds. In cases of 

 barley and rice, growth was stimulated by solutions containing 0-001 per 

 cent. NaF ; wheat was injured by it. Peas grown in soil were stimulated 

 by small amount, 0-001 gram per 2 to 3 kilos of soil. 



Stimulants of plant growth, their practical employment. OSCAR LOEW. (Landw. 

 Jahrb., 1903, 32, 437.) NaF increased the yield both of oats and peas. 



Treatment of crops by stimulating compounds. OSCAR LOEW. (Bull. Coll. 

 Agric. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 1904, 6, 161-175.) . . . fluorine promises to 

 be of agricultural importance. 



Action of CaF;, on Vesuvian soils. GASPARE AMPOLA. (Gazzetta, 104, 34, ii, 

 156-1G5.) The soil was very poor in K. The land was manured with 

 superphosphate and NaNO 3 , and varying amounts of CaF,. The crops 

 were greatly increased by the use of CaF,, and so also was the amount of 

 K assimilated by the crops. 



Poisonous action of NaF on plants. OSCAR LOEW. (Allg. Bot. Zeit, 94, 330-338.) 

 NaF acts injuriously in two ways it withdraws Ca from plants, and also 

 acts like an alkaloid. 



Stimulating action of CaF 2 on Phanerogams. KEJIERO Aso. (Bull. Coll. Agric. 

 Tokyo Imp. Univ., 1906, 7, 85-89.) .... The results of water and soil 

 culture experiments indicated that precipitated CaF, probably had some 

 stimulating effect. It is suggested that the better results obtained with 

 Wiborg phosphate as compared with superphosphate may be due to the 

 presence of 1 per cent, of F. in the former. 



Stimulating influence of NaF on garden plants. KEJIERO Aso. (Bull. Coll. 

 Agric. Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7, 83-84.) Pot experiments with Hclichrysum 

 bractcatum and Pecliciilaris viscide showed that 0-02 gram of NaF in 8 

 kilos of soil increased the yield of Pedicularis, but no effect was visible on 

 the Heliclinjsnm. 



Action of CaF, on Vesuvian soil. G. AMPOLA and SANTE DE GRAZIA. (Staz. 

 Sperim. Agr. Ital., 1906, 39, 590-592.) Further experiments showed that 

 the addition of CaF 2 to Vesuviau soils always increased the yield and the 

 quantity of assimilable potassium. 



Influence of stimulating compounds on crops. S. UCHIGAMA. (Bull. Imp. Cent. 

 Agric. Stat. Japan, 1907, 1, 37-39. ) . . . . NaF had a powerfully stimu- 

 lating action on Panicum, and also increased the yield of barley. The 

 amounts of NaF were 940 and 5,000 grams per hectare. 



Presence of Fluorine in grapes. F. LEPERRE. (Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg., 1C09. 

 23, 82-84.) . . . Dried grapes from Malaga and Sultana were incine- 

 rated, and 5 grams of the ash tested for fluorine. In most cases the result 

 was negative. According to the Author there should be no F. in genuine 

 wines. 



Function of mica in arable soils. BIELER CHATELAN. (Compt. Rend.. 1910, 

 150, 1132-1135.) Exper. in pot culture have shown that the roots of some 

 plants are capable of assimilating the K of insoluble silicates, such as white 

 mica. Mica, with apatite and tourmaline, may be the principal source of 

 the F. found in the plants. 



Fluorine in wines. A. KICKTON and W. BEIINCKE. (Zeitsch. Nahr. Genuss.. 

 1910, 20, 193-208.) The Authors have found F. in many wines of 134 

 samples examined ; most gave positive reaction. According to the Authors 

 F. must have been added. 



